ADDISON COUNTY — The extraordinarily heavy freezing rain and snowfall through the middle of last week kept Vermont State Police working out of the New Haven barracks quite busy responding to motor vehicle crashes and directing traffic around same. Troopers responded to eight traffic crashes involving property damage, and about 35 vehicles that slid off the road through the first 48 hours of the storm, which began on the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 9.
About 20 of those slide-offs happened on a steep section of Route 7 just south of Vergennes, between New Haven Road and Middle Brook Road. Around 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, three tractor-trailers became stuck in the southbound lane as they tried to ascend the hill. It took troopers and Vergennes police about three and a half hours to free the trucks. During that time, police alternated traffic in the northbound lane, resulting in significant delays as snow continued to fall. Fortunately, state police reported no injuries from any traffic accidents during the storm.
That same evening, state police were called to Route 22A in Panton, where a tractor-trailer had overturned. Driver Donald Schneider, 57, of Schenectady, N.Y., reported that he moved his vehicle too far to the right and went into a ditch. The vehicle then rolled onto its side where it came to rest. No injuries were reported.
In another snow-related traffic incident, on Wednesday morning, Dec. 10, at a little after 6 a.m., as snow, sleet and rain pelted the county, state police were advised of a single-vehicle rollover on Route 17 E in New Haven. William Valkyrie, 46, of Bristol told a trooper that he was driving a Ford F-150 westbound at approximately 25 mph when he hit a patch of ice. According to Valkyrie, the rear end of his vehicle kicked out and spun around, resulting in his pick-up hitting a small snow bank, rolling onto its side, and landing in a ditch. State police do not believe alcohol or drugs played a factor in the collision. No one was injured, but Valkyrie’s F-150 sustained moderate damage.
Separately, a Starksboro man was involved in a two-car crash in Wallingford on Dec. 9, not long after the start of the big storm. At 1:58 p.m., police said, 21-year-old John Hotaling of Starksboro was driving a 2011 Dodge Dart on Route 103, which had snow on it, when he crossed the double yellow line and ran into a 2007 Subaru Legacy driven by Dean Atwood, 48, of Manchester. Both vehicles sustained major front-end damage and police reported minor injuries were also sustained, but did not detail who suffered them. Civil traffic tickets will be issued.
In other recent activity, state police:
•  On Dec. 12 at 1:10 a.m. were called to a report of an assault at a residence on Route 116 in Starksboro. Troopers’ investigation led to them to arrest Andrew Noble, 34, of Starksboro and cite him for first-degree aggravated assault. State police alleged that Noble struck a female, strangled her, and attempted to run her over with his pickup truck. Noble was lodged at Chittenden County Correctional Center (see story in A section).
•  On Dec. 12 at approximately 1:30 p.m. stopped a motor vehicle on Route 7 in Salisbury when a black 2007 Subaru Impreza traveling northbound nearly struck the trooper conducting the stop. Troopers along with a Department of Motor Vehicles inspector stopped the Subaru on Route 7 in Salisbury and they identified a passenger in the car as 25-year-old Ripton resident Casie Yandow, who was wanted on an active arrest warrant out of Rutland County for two counts of forgery; one count of driving with a criminally suspended license; and a count of possession of a depressant, stimulant or narcotics. Police took Yandow into custody and transported her to the Addison County Courthouse to appear before a judge.
Police issued the driver, identified as 18-year-old Brandon Yandow, tickets for driving with a suspended license
•  On Dec. 13 at 24 minutes past midnight came across a vehicle partially in the roadway on Route 116 in Bristol, and the driver, identified as 55-year-old Timothy Eaton of Bristol, was with the vehicle. The trooper reported that Eaton showed signs of intoxication, and he submitted to a roadside breath test, which yielded a blood alcohol content of 0.088 percent; the legal limit for driving is 0.08 percent. Eaton was processed for driving under the influence at the New Haven barracks and cited to answer the charge of DUI in Addison Superior Court, criminal division.
•  On Dec. 14 at 1:50 p.m. checked out a report of a family fight on Leland Road in Salisbury. State police arrived on scene and met with Benjamin Emmons, 24, of Salisbury. They found that Emmons was wanted on an outstanding warrant and they took him into custody and lodged him at the Chittenden County Correctional Center.